dead quail, no damage to body..... what could have killed it?

[beakmaster]

I came home today to find one of my quails dead. I think it was one of my females that was in a cage with 5 other females and 2 males. There seems to be no damage to the body and the cage is very secure. These quail are about 10-12 weeks old. I thought about unearthing it (as it is buried) and plucking it to see if there is any damage. I did put some diatomaceous earth in the sand box to prevent bugs about 4 days ago. I haven't put it in their feed though. I read that if quails don't have cover in the wild they can die. Is this true in a cage? The pen is open on 3 sides and I really don't have any hiding places for them. Is there anything on the bodies I can look for to determine what got her?

 

[SeptemberQuail]

It could be an internal problem. Did she lose weight? Was she egg-bound?
(I'm not sure if quail can die from being egg-bound, but I think they could.)
How did she seem a few days back?

The only reasons I can think of a quail dying without cover in the wild would be from predators and bad weather. I don't know much about quail illnesses, but some more evidence could reveal whats wrong.

 

[beakmaster]

she one of 8 in the pen and they all seemed to be in great shape. didnt notice any weight loss and I couldn't say one way or the other if she was laying eggs. I think I could feel an egg in her back end but not sure..... I plan on disecting tommorow to see if I see anything odd. Hate to do it but if i can learn something that may prevent another death it will be worth it.

 

[SeptemberQuail]

Yes, there's always one point where you have to sacrifice one thing to save a lot of other things...
If you just turn her over and feel the feathery area above her vent, and press it gently, you should feel an egg there (if she was eggbound).

Well, good luck on the dissection. Hope you figure out what happened to her.

 

[MrNappy]

Death is possible, if she was egg-bound. Post your results.

 

[beakmaster]

No it wasn't eggbound. I could not find any trama on the body either. I don't think it was the DE because others should be dead too. One other thing I was thinking about was that I have supplied the quail with sand as grit for their guts. I read it would be adaquate for grit... i think.
Or maybe she just didn't eat it. I am at a loss.

 

[SeptemberQuail]

If she ate and pooped, than the grit probably worked. How else would she have digested her food...

Do you think she ate something that quail's aren't supposed to eat? Did you see anything unusual in the crop? (If you have cut it open.) I read on a thread here that a hen just randomly died, the owner cut the crop open and out came this fowl stuff filled with dead worms and their tiny eggs. But it's most likely only to get worms if they live outside on soil or grass. (Do your quail live on a wired floor or some other flooring?)

I'm really not sure what could have killed her, sometimes they just die instantly with no symptoms or reasons. It might just have been heart problems? Like a heart attack. Even if there were no trauma symptoms...

 

[beakmaster]

yeah they are of the ground on wire. If she was pooping I wouldn't know cause there are several in the cage. I did cut one of the organs open and their was some stuff that could'a been small dead worms and some small pebbles. I thought it could'a been food but now not so sure.

 

[mosca]

I have the same problem (?) I ran 7 hens with 2 cocks on wire. 4 hens have died at intervals of about 10 days. They laid fine, went off lay for 1 day, lost the use of their legs - otherwise looking in perfect health - clear eyes and nostrils, glossy feathers, clean vent and legs. Three days later they died. I have 3 hens left. Am waiting for the next death. They drink river water. I am rearing 14 apparently healthy offspring. Am at my wits end.

 

[beakmaster]

river water could have parasites in it. Maybe thats it. Do you give them grit?
I am pretty sure mine died from a broken neck. That cage was 2ft from floor to ceiling and the birds frequently jump and hit the ceiling. That bird musta hit a bit harder.